Tuning-head for musical instruments.



No. 778,129. PATENTED DEC. 20, 190 W. HENZI.

TUNING HEAD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.8, 1903.

NO MODEL.

5 n new toz mm 67 77 Z UNITED STATEs Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

TUNING-HEAD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 778,129, dated December20, 1904.

Application filed December 8, 1903. $erial No. 184,291.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER HENZI, a citizen of Switzerland, residing atSalt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Tuning-Heads for MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tuning-heads for musical instruments, and moreparticularly refers to a novel arrangement of the tuningpins and gearingdevices therefor.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a tuning mechanism forzithers and analogous stringed instruments which have the strings soclose together as to render it impracticable to employ the usual tuningdevices embodied in other stringed instruments.

A further object of the invention is to facilitate tuning stringedinstruments by simple means arranged in compact form and capable ofapplication and operation within a reduced space.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionconsists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, whichwill be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of atuning-head embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line 2 2, Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line 33, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a tuning-head which in the present instance iscomposed of a series of parts of metal and wood to strengthen the sameand also provide bearings for the actuating devices and tuning-pins. Atregular intervals the head 1 is formed with a series of vertical bores2, which intersect trans-' 'versely-arranged horlzontal bores 3.

the head 1. The pins are arranged in contiguous pairs for use with aninstrument having the strings closely disposed, as in a zither, andcooperating with each pair of pins is a pair of actuating-rods 5, whichare located in the bores 3 and have outer angular terminals 6 forengagement by a tuning-key of any suitable form. The tuning-pins 4:differ in length, the one pin being operative by the upper actuating-rodand the other by the lower actuating-rod. Each pin within the bore 3 hasa worm-wheel 7 secured thereon, and each actuating-rod 5 has a worm 8formed thereon and continually held in mesh with the worm-wheel 7 of thepin 4, which it is adapted to control. It will be seen that the pins 4are located to one side of the plane of the actuating-rods, so that thesaid pins may be disposed in parallel relation and the one rod extendedpast the one pin of each pair without interfering with the operation ofeither the pin or rod. This disposition of the parts permits a closearrangement of the pins and a practical assemblage of the rods.

The pins 4 are suitably braced in the portions of the head 1 throughwhich they extend to set up a suflicient resistance to obviate looseningof the pins by the tension of the strings thereon. Moreover, by thearrangement of the worm-wheels and worms on the pins and rods as setforth a more sensitive adjustment or operation of the tuning-pins can beobtained, and the rotation of the pins will be rendered regular withobvious advantages in stringed instruments. The several parts of thehead will be assembled in such manner as to accommodate the dispositionof the worm-wheels on the pins within the head, and, as indicated byFigs. 2 and 3, the head is made up of what may be termed sections orplates adapted to be suitably secured to each other.

The improved tuning-head will be found exceptionall y convenient, andthe annoyance incident to tuning closely-stringed instruments by theordinary form of tuning means will be obviated.

It is obvious that changes in the dimensions, proportions, and minordetails of the invention with each other, pins of different lengthsfitting in the vertical bores, actuating-rods located in the horizontalbores, and gear devices between said pins and rods.

In testimony whereof I afl'ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALTER H ENZI.

lVitnesses:

HARRISON E. JENKINS, J. S. FARRINGTON.

